Rachel & Leah

I was so excited when I came across a copy of this book, and it is an amazing read, that takes us through the lives of four incredible young women later to be mothers of the Nation of Israel. First we read about Bilah, a clever young girl, who is taken by a a friend of her late father's to Laban's camp at Padan Aram, after her father's death in a tragic work accident, before we are introduced to 'tender eyed' Leah, the ravishing Rachel and the other handmaiden Zilpah. Rachel and Leah are introduced to us at the ages of eleven and fourteen respectively. Bilah is a similar age to Rachel and Zilpah a similar age to Leah. As we read of the lives and interactions of four beautiful girls, each with their own unique personalities and characters, I grew to love and care about them all. The entry of Jacob fleeing from his brother Esau's wrath shapes the lives of all four girls who will later bear Jacob's twelve sons. Card departs very little from the Biblical novel while filling in the caps in a most skillful manner. It is an interesting insight into the intricacies of the lives of the characters who shaped the history of the nation of Israel. A very sensitive insightful, and compassionate portrayal that kept the right amount of humour and intrigue. Fascinating insights into the Book of the revelations of Enoch as Enoch, who walked with the people of Zion, is taken up to heaven, as Jacob teaches Leah and Bilah. The only flaw may be that the author seems to downplay the love of Jacob for Rachel who was in fact the center of his attention, and he turns Laban, who is not well though of in Jewish and Christian scripture into a sympathetic character. But we feel as if we are really there in Padan-Aram as we share the lives of Jacob and four fascinating young women. Card shows a deep understanding of women and of men and of their interactions. It is a novel and a work of historical fiction that is at once engaging and enlightening. It really deepened my perspectives of these events and people. I am determined when I am next in Israel to visit Rachel's Tomb between Gilo and Beit Lechem and the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias where Zilpah and Bilah are buried, having visited the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron where Jacob and Leah are buried.

This book is the third in a trilogy of books based on the women who married the biblical heroes of faith from Genesis. Having read the first volume, Sarah - (Abraham's wife), and the second, Rebekkah -(Isaac's wife); both of which are fascinating reading - I could hardly wait to enjoy this book about the wives of Jacob. These books are wholly fiction and yet illuminate the characters from the biblical stories and give them context within the culture of their time and faith. Orson Scott Card has given these women genuine attributes of strength and weakness, love and jealousy, great faith and great doubt, and in so doing has deepened my appreciation for all that is written in these stories. I believe that the bible is God's Inspired Word and these books do not take anything away from that belief nor distort it in any way. I recognize these as works of fiction and yet still I am inspired by his conjecture that these people struggled within themselves and still managed to lead lives of faith. I recognize all the elements of the biblical stories and marvel at how Card contrives background and nuance to shaping their telling. The forward and afterword reveal too much of the author's bias regarding the bible and lessened my experience and if pressed I would say they could easily be skipped - but the text is formidable storytelling.... ABSOLUTELY ENTERTAINING !!!!!!!!

I am a huge fan of Card's science fiction series and also his historical fiction , "PastWatch". I read both of the past books in the series (Sarah and Rebekah) and loved them both. You don't have to be overly religious to enjoy these books, it may even be better if you're not, that way you won't get too hung up on the details or omissions. Card is a great story teller and it shows in these books. I found myself going back to the bible passages to see how it matched up with the story after the fact. I can't wait for the follow up book.

I enjoy reading books about characters that actually existed. Orson Scott Card's insight into the lives of Rachel and Leah was both believable and delightful. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore possibilities of these women's lives without degrading their memory. I was impressed by Card's ability to make so much out of a simple account in Genesis, and also make me respect these women and want to learn more about them. You should definitely look into this one!

I had quite an opposite experience as k_b. I found I appreciated Rachel & Leah, as well as other Women of Genesis books, greater as a novel than as a piece of spiritual literature. Moreover, as compared to Saints, I didn't feel the pressure of religion overshadowing the shining characters and very real plot. I have always been a firm believer in extensive characterization. No matter how awesome and intricate a plot is, if you don't love the characters you won't care what kind of situations they get into. Card's talent isn't simply his ability to weave a good story, it is his ability to create characters so vivid we cannot help but think of them as real people and empathize with their exploits. I knew the story of Jacob and his four wives very well, but it always sat uneasy with me; they and their actions were too detached, too foreign. All the characters in R & L feel real, and I found myself strongly empathizing with them (well, not so much Rachel, but that's probably the older sister in me talking). I am not spiritual AT ALL, but I love the Women of Genesis series (Rebekah has since become, in my opinion, on of the most kick-butt women in literature). Religion in the books feel more like a background or a means through which the REAL story can be told, neither offensive or distracting in its persistant function (see Saints). This is a remarkable book that evokes true emotion and paints very real portraits from fuzzy biblical sketches, transforming obscure literary references into human beings. I actually read Red Tent after finishing R & L. While I enjoyed it for the style and imagination, Card's protrayal of these characters was far more complete and I would revert back to his interpretation when the stories diverged. The spiritual should pick up Rachel & Leah (as well as Sarah and Rebekah) for the full-circle understanding of characters without characterization in the Bible, and non-believers shouldn't be deterred from a wonderful read for fear of religious orientation.